Jeff Crumbaugh of Great Lakes Endurance on his eco-friendly trail races in northern Michigan, the U.P. & Wisconsin

By Michigan Runner Girl

Summer 2015: Three of my best running friends—Erin, Katie and Pam—joined me for the Grand Island Trail Half Marathon in Munising, Mich. We had so much fun at this race, and we made it a family camping weekend. We ran, the guys mountain biked and the kids paddle boarded and swam. Perfect summer weekend in the U.P. Great Lakes Endurance knows how to put on exceptional trail races.

Jeff Crumbaugh, longtime runner, race director and founder of race management company Great Lakes Endurance, is known for his commitment to “ecologically mindful running races.” Since 2000, Great Lakes Endurance has provided runners with exceptional trail running experiences while giving back to organizations involved in land conservancy, environmental education, and sustainable silent sport trail construction or maintenance.

I’ve written about these races here on the blog and talked about them on the podcast—they’re among my favorite running events here in Michigan. Topping my list of best trail running races is the Grand Island Trail Run, which includes a half marathon, marathon and 50K on the stunning island in Lake Superior near Munising. (This was in fact the topic of the very first MRG Podcast, back in summer 2015.)

Jeff, who teaches high school physics and environmental chemistry as well as coaches high school runners, joined me on the show this week to talk about the Grand Island Trail Run as well as the others he and his team organize each year in northern lower Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and in northern Wisconsin, where Jeff and his company are based. There may just be some new races coming in the not-too-distant future, too… {Listen to this latest episode of the MRG Show by clicking on the player at the top of this post}

Finishing the Tahqua Trail Run 25K, summer 2013.

The next Great Lakes Endurance event is the third annual Two Hearted Trail Run, a 50K, marathon and half marathon on Saturday, June 24 on trails between Paradise, Mich. and the mouth of the Two Hearted River. A special race discount code is shared with listeners during the show.

Runners on the beach during the Grand Island Trail Run. /photo courtesy running.competitor.com

You’ll also hear all about Great Lakes Endurance’s other races held throughout the year, including two winter snowshoe races.

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“The Michigan Runner Girl tank is amazing! It was super comfortable and I love the open back pocket for my fuel. I proudly wore it for a PR in the half marathon!”— Jennifer Smigielski, Michigan Runner Girl who rocked out the Detroit Women’s Half Marathon this September.